Popcorn Chicken and Honey Dill Sauce

Cut chicken breasts into pieces that are roughly 1″ in size. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. In a medium bowl, combine flour, panko crumbs, and all the spices. Mix until well combined.

Begin by dipping the chicken pieces into the egg mixture and then transfer the chicken from the egg mixture into the flour mixture and toss until completely coated with seasoned flour. Remove the chicken from the flour mixture and set on a baking sheet or plate and continue until all the chicken pieces are coated.

Pour oil into a medium-sized, high sided pot. For safety sake, you do not want your oil to be more than 2″ deep, and definitely not more than halfway up the side of the pot. Heat oil to 375 F. A candy thermometer comes in handy here, but if you don’t have one, heat the oil on medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes. Test your oil temperature with one of the chicken pieces. If it browns too quickly, turn the heat down to medium and wait a minute or two to start frying.

Carefully drop the chicken pieces, 8 to 12 pieces at a time, into the hot oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until browned and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken pieces from the hot oil and place the chicken on a paper towel to drain slightly before serving. Continue frying the rest of the chicken.

You can easily double or triple this recipe and freeze some for those crazy, busy weeknights when you only have 20 minutes to put dinner on the table.

To freeze:
Place cooked, cooled popcorn chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours. Once frozen, remove the popcorn chicken from the baking sheet and place in freezer safe Ziploc bags. Return to the freezer for future meals.

To reheat:
Place frozen popcorn chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until heated through.

For the Honey Dill Sauce:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Honey dill sauce will keep in the refrigerator, in a sealed container, for up to 3 weeks.

I prefer fresh or frozen dill, but you can also use dried dill in a pinch.